PESHAWAR: WAPDA Union vehemently opposes the privatisation of the DISCOs as employees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province participated in nationwide protests over the federal government’s proposal to transfer ownership of electricity distribution companies into private hands. Hundreds of workers gathered at the Press Club in Peshawar, expressing their discontent not only about privatisation but also about the growing inflation, unemployment, delayed recruitment, poor security situation, and insecurity of contract employees.

The rally was addressed by senior leadership of All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Workers Union such as Central Vice President & Provincial Chairman Haji Muhammad Iqbal, Central Chairman Gohar Taj, Provincial Secretary Noorul Amin Haiderzai, Provincial Vice Chairman Yasir Kamran, Provincial Deputy Chairman Shafiullah and Provincial Secretary Information Gohar Ali Gohar. The presence of all of them together reflected a united front towards the message that the union rejects DISCOs’ privatisation as a challenge to the state ownership of the national wealth.

Haji Muhammad Iqbal addressed the meeting and opined that the government must desist from privatising any profitable national enterprises. In this regard, he made a point by comparing WAPDA with the example of Pakistan International Airlines, which suggested that the assets of WAPDA should not go through privatisation. The remarks were an embodiment of the essence of WAPDA Union's refusal to the privatization of DISCOs.

Chairman Gohar Taj sent out an alarming warning, saying that if the government does not revoke the privatization policy, then protests in the country would increase greatly. He also said that any disturbance in the power supply caused by any further disturbance would be solely the responsibility of the government. It clearly shows how much the WAPDA Union opposes the DISCOs privatization policy.

According to Provincial Secretary Noorul Amin Haiderzai, privatisation will result in an increase in the tariffs of DISCOs, which will put more financial burden on the general public as well as hurt the national economy. This statement is a reflection of the criticism faced by privatization as it focuses more on profits than accessibility.

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Reform Instead of DISCOs privatisation

The labor unions pleaded with the government that the DISCOs should be reformed and strengthened instead of privatizing them. Some of the other demands made by the labor unions were for the regularization and recruitment against the large number of vacancies at PESCO, TESCO, and HAZECO. Measures to stop electricity thefts and to collect outstanding dues from defaulters were also demanded.

Apart from the economic and employment pressures on the government, speakers requested that those people employed by WAPDA who had died during the course of carrying out their responsibilities be declared martyrs. They called for the provision of the same compensation and perks extended to the martyrs of the security forces to be offered to the families of these workers.

Since it has become very clear that the leaders of the WAPDA union are against the privatization of DISCOs and they threaten further unrest, the government has now come under increasing pressure to review its policy on electricity distribution.